Opinions...tell me if I’m crazy

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CKLEM55

New member
So there’s a private 4x4 club near me that has an awesome piece of land they use for wheeling, it’s open to the public for certain events a few times a year and I’ve been waiting for a chance to be able to go, they’re open this Saturday.

Here’s the kicker, as I was giving my Jeep a once over today I noticed a tiny amount of gear oil pooling up on the bottom part of the knuckle, assuming it’s from an axle seal on its way out even though my Jeep has just over 10k miles on it which sucks. I’m assuming this would be covered under warranty and I’ve already called every dealership within reasonable driving distance and the earliest anyone could look at it is next week. So here’s my question, would it be an insanely stupid idea if I took my Jeep out on Saturday, took it easy on the trails and brought gear oil with me, keeping an eye on whatever leaks out and top it off if needed?

Just curious if anyone has ever been in a similar situation and how you handled it, thanks!
 
CKLEM55 said:
So there’s a private 4x4 club near me that has an awesome piece of land they use for wheeling, it’s open to the public for certain events a few times a year and I’ve been waiting for a chance to be able to go, they’re open this Saturday.

Here’s the kicker, as I was giving my Jeep a once over today I noticed a tiny amount of gear oil pooling up on the bottom part of the knuckle, assuming it’s from an axle seal on its way out even though my Jeep has just over 10k miles on it which sucks. I’m assuming this would be covered under warranty and I’ve already called every dealership within reasonable driving distance and the earliest anyone could look at it is next week. So here’s my question, would it be an insanely stupid idea if I took my Jeep out on Saturday, took it easy on the trails and brought gear oil with me, keeping an eye on whatever leaks out and top it off if needed?

Just curious if anyone has ever been in a similar situation and how you handled it, thanks!
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Sure you can do that, assuming it’s just a small leak.
 
TrailHunter said:
Damn, only 10k.... Do you remember what might have started the leak?
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The only thing I could possibly think of is when I had my knuckle gussets installed because I had HD ball joints put in at the same time so I was thinking if they pulled the shaft to put in the new ball joints maybe they hit it while putting the shafts back in, but that was 1000 miles ago and im thinking if it was from that it would have started much sooner then now
 
CKLEM55 said:
Thanks, just wanted to get someone else’s opinion. I’m just hoping it doesn’t get any worse before then🤞🏻
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I had a small leak (drip, drip) from my rear differential for months. Finally got around to fixing it a few weeks ago. There was still plenty of oil in there and everything was fine, except for my stained driveway.
 
I bet whoever put the axle back in fucked it up. If the dealer finds anything like the axle guide stuck in the seal, they may not cover it. Just a heads up. Hopefully that won't be the case. I would still wheel the Jeep until then.
 
Mine has a small leak also, I just top it off before and keep a bottle with me. Few things to remember, which ever side is leaking try not to keep low for a long extended period of time. ( poser photo shots) put the leaky side up on the rock. Try to stay outta the mud and water. My dealer told me if they find a lot of mud and junk in the axle they wouldn’t cover it.
Have fun, wash it good before you bring it in.


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My Jeep has 32,000 miles and I’ve had one front and one rear seal replaced already. Thankfully under warranty but nevertheless why are they failing so early!!! I dread when it happens again out of warranty and I have to tackle it.


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Thanks for the advice guys👍🏻, I’m debating whether or not to call the shop that installed the gussets and ball joints before taking it to a dealership, not sure how that would go over though
 
I think what kills seals in removing and re-installing the axle shafts. I lost the rear seal a week after getting gears installed. The front lasted a few years, but still went. From now on I'm recommending folks get new seals when doing gears. I've seen this happen too much. My gear installer shrugged his shoulders and said most folks don't want to pay for new rear seals because it requires new shaft bearings, wedding rings, and more labor.
 
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